Gianna's Grit | ✓

IV: My Old Friend the Target

GIANNA

King grilled me about my communication and friendship with Kamari for about half an hour. He then threw a crumpled piece of paper at me.

I unfolded it carefully, moving slowly so that he wouldn't get trigger-happy, "A phone number?"

I saw his name and he spoke before I even asked, "Call me if anyone comes looking for Kamari."

"He's in trouble?" I asked.

King walked away, not answering me. So, I followed behind him.

One of his friends tried closing the door on me, but I pushed my way out, my eyes landing on Kamari, "Ahat trouble are you in, Kamari? What do you need me to do?"

Kamari allowed me to take his hands and smiled a bit, eyeing King before speaking, "You can't help me with this, Gi. I gotta keep you out of it."

I ignored King approaching us, "Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

"Some guys messed up a drop-off and some.. miscommunication happened. Now I'm in deep with a rival who doesn't take liars lying down," he said carefully.

"What're you going to do—"

King broke us apart roughly, dragging me away from Kamari's corner by the arm, "You don't know when to shut the fuck up, do you?"

"Not really," I said before I found myself looking into his eyes, "but you already knew that, didn't you?"

I could've sworn he'd rolled his eyes before I was thrown against the brick wall beside the door, "Your smart mouth is gonna get you killed, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Every time Georgia came over to babysit," I breathed, ignoring the ache in my back.

He tightened his grasp on my arm before I was thrown into the house and onto the entryway tile. The ache in my back only increased, though I preferred tile over a solid front door.

"You don't want no parts of this," he growled, staring down at me while still standing on the porch.

"Kamari is my friend—"

He was quick on the draw again, aiming his gun straight at my head. My relatives gasped, and even I thought he was going to end me then and there.

Okay, maybe I had mouthed off a little too much.

Alright, I definitely had.

Just when I thought he was going to squeeze the trigger, I saw him glance to aunt Philly.

By the time I looked back to him, his gun was being hidden in his jeans again.

I furrowed my brow but didn't make any other movements until King slammed both doors shut.

My relatives rushed to help me stand and grab an ice pack for my probably bruised back.

I, however, rushed to the window and watched King and Kamari argue before their group walked down the street and disappeared from my view completely.

Aunt Georgia surprised me by helping me stand and then sit between my older aunties with an ice pack flattened behind my back on the sofa.

She raised my chin so that our eyes met, "Don't you ever do something that stupid again, Gianna."

I nodded, "Yes ma'am."